1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a compressed gas manifold for pneumatically interconnecting a plurality of gas storage cells.
2. Background
Domestic oil production is declining due to U.S. oil reserves becoming more difficult to tap while demands on petroleum production escalate. Half of the U.S. oil supply is imported and the U.S. Department of Energy predicts a 60 percent deficiency by the year 2010. International oil companies relying on easily extracted foreign oil may meet the demand but at an unacceptable cost to the U.S. economy. The primary cause of the short fall is the motor vehicle. Current predictions indicate motor vehicles will proliferate globally from 500 million today to one billion by the year 2030. The solution is obvious, alternative fuels must be developed for motor vehicles.
It has been demonstrated that compressed gasses such as hydrogen, propane, methane or natural gas are viable alternatives to petroleum as a fuel source for motor vehicles. Natural gas is one of the more interesting of the alternatives because it is a plentiful commodity in the United States and therefor inexpensive. As a result, more than 30,000 natural gas vehicles are being used in the United States. These vehicles have demonstrated low fuel costs and reduced engine maintenance while affording a significant reduction in exhaust emissions. Such vehicles have been restricted to fleet trucks, delivery vans, buses and taxis due to their limited range. The restrictions and limitations are caused by the space required for existing compressed natural gas fuel systems. This space penalty results in lost truck bed volume, automobile trunk volume and range. Furthermore, a higher initial purchase price is experienced due to the low demand for such vehicles. The resulting small population has made research and development unattractive so improvements have been slow to evolve.